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planning Italy trip from Rome and north in mid september

greetings travelers! would love thoughts and insights on the proposed fall trip to Italy.

Please see the proposed 2 week itinerary. This will be our first time in Italy

Fly into Rome, 3 nights.
Rent car and drive north to San Gimignano.
Stop in Montepulciano on the way
Five nights in San Gimignano, our Tuscany base.
Visit to Chianti, wineries, biking culinary classes, etc.
Drive to Lucca one day/one night
Drive to Cinque Terra
Stay in Monterrosa, 4 nights (is this enough, just right or too long?)
Drive to Florence, 3 nights
Depart out of Florence.

many thanks! Fred

Posted by
1625 posts

As in next month or 2023.
Looks good, We only did 2 nights in Cinque Terre and that was plenty, you can add those extra nights to Rome.
It looks like your in Tuscany, leave for CT, then go back to Tuscany? That does not make sense.
Why not just use Florence as your base for Tuscany?
I would use a train as opposed to a car, up until Tuscany. So Rome to CT by Train, CT to Florence by Train then get the car to explore Tuscany with day trips to San Gimignano, lucca and all your wineries etc. Many on this board have great input in all the rules on having a car. I Don't even think you can drive a car into San Gimignano, it is all by foot.

Posted by
5615 posts

I would suggest returning your car in Lucca.

I think the itinerary is pretty good. You could use more time in Rome and Florence, but there is never enough time for travel! I, for sure, would take a night or even 2 out of CT and give to Florence or Rome.

Posted by
4430 posts

Do post in the Italy forum so you can get more feedback (you are in the reviews section).
I would do the order like this: Rome, SG by car, then drop car at La Spezia, Cinque Terre without car, then one night stopover in Lucca en route to Florence. You don't need a car in all of the stops after SG.